The dedicated legal team of Caputo & Mariotti
Wilkes-Barre Birth Injury Lawyer
The most important job we as parents have is to protect our children. We do everything we can to make sure their lives are better than ours. Bringing a child into the world is one of the most special things that can happen in life. Unfortunately, medical professionals involved in the birth of your child can be found negligent causing serious injuries due to their mistakes. If you believe your child suffered a birth injury, contact Wilkes-Barre birth injury lawyer Caputo & Mariotti.
What Birth Injury Cases in Wilkes Barre, PA Occur?
Even with today’s advances in the medical field, birth injuries are a fairly common occurrence. As you can see, the birth of a child and the pregnancy is a very intricate process. The slightest misstep in either of these procedures could lead to the biggest consequences.
Some common birth injury cases caused by negligence include:
- Cerebral Palsy, Brachial Plexus Palsy / Erb’s Palsy, & other brain injuries
- Hemorrhaging
- Swelling and bruising of the head.
- Premature Labor & Birth
- Injuries To The Spinal Cord
- Damage to a baby’s blood vessels in the eye
- Spina Bifida
- Emergency C-Sections
- Bone Injuries & Fractures
- Perinatal Asphyxia
- Scarring
As you can see, each injury comes with its own degree of severity. The effect these injuries have on a child can be detrimental to their growth, development, and chance at living a normal life. When these happen through no fault of your own due to the negligence of medical professionals, that’s unacceptable.
What Causes Birth Injuries to Happen?
According to Stanford Children’s Health, birth injuries happen more when non-vaginal birth such as a cesarean section (c-section) happens. There’s also a higher chance of a birth injury when vacuums and forceps are used. Additionally, the size of the infant is a major factor. Premature births and large babies are more likely to have a birth injury occur.
On the bright side, the majority of birth injuries are resolved without requiring treatment. Unfortunately, some birth injuries have more serious consequences with long-lasting effects. Do you want to know the worst part about this? About half of all birth injuries could have been avoided. 157,700 birth injuries to either mothers or infants didn’t need to happen but did as the result of the negligence of medical professionals.
Everyone makes mistakes and we can’t avoid that entirely. However, people need to be held responsible for their own actions. Especially considering when these injuries impact entire families and groups of people.
How Can You Tell a Birth Injury Happened?
Some injuries effects appear sooner than the effects of others. Cerebral palsy signs may not come up until well into the growth of the child into their toddler years. Scars and other malformations can be seen much sooner. That’s why it’s important to contact a Wilkes Barre birth injury lawyer the moment you suspect a birth injury occurred.
In the legal system, most laws have a statute of limitations on them limiting the time in which legal action can be taken. In cases where the child may be a victim of a personal injury, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania adopts special protections. If a child has a personal injury case that happened before they were 18, they can file a claim on their injury up until they’re 20 years old in Pennsylvania.
Do I Need a Wilkes-Barre Birth Injury Lawyer?
If you believe your child, someone you love’s child, or someone you know had a birth injury caused by the negligence of a medical professional, contact Caputo & Mariotti. As trusted Wilkes Barre birth injury lawyers, we’ve spent a combined 55+ years fighting for the rights of those who were wronged. We offer free consultations so we can offer our legal advice moving forward. Take action today.